5 days ago
Record-breaking birth: This baby was born from an embryo frozen 30 years ago
It sounds like something out of a sci-fi film – an embryo frozen in time for three decades, waiting for the right moment to live – but this isn't a make-believe story.
This is the extraordinary story of Thaddeus Daniel Pierce, who's made headlines as the 'oldest' baby ever born.
The little boy developed from an embryo that had been frozen for over 30 years, and his parents, Lindsey (35) and Tim Pierce (34) from Ohio in the USA, are embracing this extraordinary journey.
'We had a rough birth, but we are both doing well now,' Lindsey says. 'He is so chill. We are in awe that we have this precious baby.'
In the early 1990s Linda Archerd (now 62) had struggled with infertility for six years. In May 1994, she and her then-husband created four embryos through IVF.
One embryo resulted in a healthy baby girl, now 30, who has a 10-year-old daughter.
The remaining three embryos were frozen and stored for decades; and Linda paid annual storage fees of around $1000.
'I called them my three little hopes,' Linda told Technology Review.
READ MORE | 'It was like a little miracle' – Mrs SA on her emotional journey to parenthood
When Linda was divorced, she won custody of the embryos but faced a dilemma when she went through menopause. No longer able to carry a pregnancy herself, she had to decide what to do with her remaining embryos.
Rather than discarding them or donating anonymously, she chose to donate them through a program that would allow her to connect with the potential parents.
'It's my DNA, it came from me . . . and it's my daughter's sibling,' she explained.
The Pierces found Linda's embryo through the Rejoice Fertility Centre's Open Hearts program, an initiative which focuses on older embryos that might otherwise be overlooked.
'We just decided, why not? We'll give them a chance,' Lindsey told News Nation. 'We believe in life at conception, so we'll just give it a chance and see what happens.'
Now the first-time mom can't help but feel the timing was perfect. 'I think God had him in store for us. He held him on reserve just for us.'
The situation has created some mind-bending family relationships. Linda's biological daughter is technically Thaddeus' sister.
'The baby has a 30-year-old sister,' Linda says. 'It's been pretty surreal. It's hard to even believe.'
READ MORE | Cape Town mom welcomes miracle baby after 8 rounds of IVF and heartbreaking loss
The Pierces haven't yet met Linda, but hope to connect once they've recovered from the newborn phase.
'We've been in contact with her since the beginning, and we hope to meet her one day,' Lindsey says.
Meanwhile, the couple has launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover medical expenses and create an education fund for their little record breaker.
'His story has already reached international headlines and caused quite a stir in the scientific community,' Tim wrote in the fundraiser statement.
'We know he has greater things in store for him than he has already accomplished.'
